Multiple electric outlet



Aug. 2, 1955 R. v. PARAJON MULTIPLE ELECTRIC OUTLET Filed Oc'c. l5, 1954 j@ jg @o @j l@ INVENTOR @MA/00 W670i P/@Q/O/V,

ATTORNEYS NUnited States Patent MULTIPLE ELECTRIC OUTLET Rolando Victor Parajon, Habana, Cuba Application October 13, 1954, Serial No. 462,011

3 Claims. (Cl. 339-464) The present invention` relates to an improved construction for a multiple electric outlet and particularly to an outlet or socket adapted to receive a plurality of standard spaced pronged plugs such as are customarily used to connect electrical appliances and the like to a source of current.

it is an objective of the invention to provide a multiple electric outlet socket which is of simple construction and yet durable in use.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a multiple electric outlet socket of compact construction.

The novel outlet socket structure in accordance with the invention is described in greater detail with reference to the accompanying drawings which lshow several views of a preferred modification of the invention.

ln the drawings:

Fig. l shows a perspective view of an outlet socket according to the invention;

Fig. 2 shows a longitudinal section through the outlet socket shown in Fig. l;

Fig. 3 shows a top View of the outlet socket shown in Fig. l with the top half of the housing removed;

Fig. 4 .shows a cross-sectional View of the outlet socket taken along line 4 4 of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 5 shows a perspective View of one of the conductor strips used in the outlet socket.

With reference to the drawings, the outlet socket according to the invention comprises a housing 1 of insulating material which is composed of two similar halves 2 and 3, each of which, as shown, are provided with two pairs of openings 4, 5, 6 and 7 which are adapted to receive the prongs of spaced prong plugs 8, 9, 10 and 11. The pairs of openings are spaced along the top and bottom of the housing so that the plugs when their prongs are inserted into the respective pairs of openings are staggered with respect to each other and it will be apparent that more plugs can be accommodated along an outlet socket of this structure than if all plugs were to be connected to one side of the housing only. The staggered positioning of the pairs of plug prong receiving openings also renders it possible to reduce the thickness of the housing as the prongs of the opposed plugs do not interfere with each other. In the structure shown, halves 2 and 3 of the housing are actually identical and each have the two pairs of openings so placed that upon inversion and reversal they provide the housing with staggered pairs of openings which are alternately on the top and bottom half.

The housing halves 2 and 3 are each provided with parallel longitudinal grooves 12 and 13 aligning with the openings and connected with such openings. Resilient conductor strips 14 and 15' of brass or similar metal are housed within such grooves when the housing halves 2 and 3 are assembled and locked together with screws 16 and 17. The edge portions 18, 19, 2t), 21 of such conductor strips aligning with and facing the openings are bent inwardly or outwardly as will be described in greater tit) f. ICC

detail below so as to guide the prongs olf the plugs which are inserted through the pairs of openings in the housing alongside of and in contact with the conductor strips. It

will be noted that the edge portion of each individual Y strip adjacent the top openings are bent in one direction whereas the edge portion of each individual strip adjacent the bottom openings is bent in the other direction, as shown in Fig. 5, so that the prongs of the adjacent plugs inserted into the openings in the outlet socket are guided to and held against opposite sides of the conductor strips by the opposing stresses engendered when the prongs are forced to pass alternately on opposite sides of the strips. As shown in the drawings, the bent portions of the strips adjacent to each pair of openings is either bent inwardly or outwardly so that the prongs of the plug inserted through the pair of openings is urged to pass either along the outside or along the inside of the strips.

It will be seen that the bent portions of the conductor serve to orient the conductor strips within the grooves in the housing and cause appropriate stressing of the conductor strips to assure good contact with the prongs of the plugs inserted into the outlet.

The ends of the conductor strips are connected, for example, by soldering to wires 22 and 23 of electrical cables 25 and 26, cable 25 acting as a source of electric current to the outlet socket and cable 26 serving to conduct current to another electrical outlet, for example, another outlet socket according to the invention. Of course, if it is desired, the connection of cable 26 can be dispensed with and the corresponding end of the housing modified to provide openings for the reception of a further spaced prong plug to contact the free ends of the conductor .strips which are bent in the opposite direction than the portions of such conductor strips adjacent the pair of openings on the top or bottom of the housing nearest such end.

I claim:

l. A multiple electric outlet for the reception of a plurality of spaced prong plugs comprising an insulating housing, a pair of substantially parallel spaced resilient conductor strips within said housing adapted to be connected to a source of electricity, a plurality of spaced pairs of openings in said housing spaced along such conductor strips, each pair of openings being adapted to receive the prongs of a spaced prong plug and being aligned with respect to such strips to permit one of the prongs of such plug to contact a side of one of such conductor strips and to permit the other of the prongs of such plug to contact a side of the other of such conductor strips, said conductor strips having bent portions along the length thereof adjacent to said openings and cooperating therewith upon insertion of the prongs of the plugs to stress such strips and to urge the prongs of the plugs inserted into such openings to pass along the sides of such strips and be maintained in contact therewith, the bent portions of each of such strips cooperating with adjacent openings of adjacent pairs of openings being such that the prongs of the plugs inserted into such adjacent openings pass along opposite sides of the strip cooperating therewith.

2. A multiple electric outlet for the reception of a plurality of spaced prong plugs comprising an elongated housing of insulating material, a pair ot' substantially parallel spaced resilient conductor strips adapted to be connected to a source of electricity carried within said housing parallel to the longitudinal axis of said housing, a plurality of pairs of openings in said housing spaced along such conductor strips, each adjacent pair of such openings being on opposite sides of such housing and being adapted to receive the prongs of a spaced prong plug and being aligned with respect to .such strips to permit one of the prongs of such plug to` contact a side of one of.' such conductor strips and to permit the other of the prongs of such plug to Contact a side of the other of such conductor strips, said conductor strips having bent portions along the length thereofadjacent to said openings andl cooperating therewith upon insertion of the prongs of the plugs to stress such strips and to urge the prongs of the plugs inserted into such openings to pass along the sides of such strips and be maintained in contact therewith, the bent portions of each of such strips cooperating with adjacent openings of adjacent pairs of openings being such that the prongs of the plugs inserted into suchadjacent openings pass along opposite sides of the strip, cooperating therewith,

3. A multiple electric outlet for the reception of a plurality of spaced prong plugs comprising an elongated housing of insulating material, a pair of substantially parallel spaced resilient conductor strips adapted to be connected to a source of electricity carried within said housing parallel to the longitudinal axis of said housing in elongated `slots within the housing, a plurality of pairs of openings in said housing spaced along such conductor strips opening into the slots Within the housing carrying the conductor strips, each adjacent pair of such openings being on opposite `sides of such housing and being adapted to receive the prongs of a spaced prong plug and being aligned with respect to such strips to permit one of the prongs of such plug to contact a side of one of such conductor strips, and to permit the other of the prongs of such plug to contact a side of the other of such conductor strips, the edge portions of each conductor strip extending towards and adjacent the openings one side of said housing being bent in one direction and the edge portions of the other side of said conductor strip extending towards and adjacent the openings on the other side of said housing being bent in the opposite direction so as to urge the prongs of the plugs inserted into the adjacent pairs of openings on opposite sides of the housing to stress such strips and to pass along opposite sides of each strip and be maintained in contact with such strips by the opposite stresses in such strips.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS l,6|3,959 Propps Ian. 11, 1927 2,222,70l Benander Nov. 26, 1950 2,576,165 Wood Nov. 27, 1951 2,637,793 Korecki May 5, 1953 

